Piling box or tray.



PATENTED AUG, 27, 1907.

l G. H. ERICKSON. FILING B0X 0R TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. 1906.-

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To all whom it may concern.'

UNITED STATES CHARLES H. ERICKSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

CO., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

ASSIGNORy TO THE CLEVELAND WIRE SPRING A CORPORATION OF OHIO,

FILING BOX OR TRAY.

speemcatin of Letters Patent.

`premised Aug.' 27, 1907.

Appleman and .my 19,1906. serio No. 326,375.

Be it known that I, CriAnLEs H. ERICKSON, a citizenA of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piling Boxes or Trays; and do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to piling boxes or trays, and the invention is an improvement in that class oi boxes or trays formed of sheet metal and adapted to receive and hold various products, such as screws, bolts and other machined articles.

The object of my invention is to provide io'r a periect alinemcnt between all the boxes 4when piled one upon the oth er and to connect them with each other in this relation, as well as to slidably support them upon each other. A perfect alinement and rigid connection between the boxes is necessary, as otherwise there is always danger of the pile toppling to one side or the other, and this danger is especially increased when the floor oi the factory is uneven, as is often the case, and because, as a rule, the floor is also u nder constant vibration by rreason of the machines in operation thereon.

Inthe accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective lview oi our of my improved boxes mounted one upon the other as in use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one end of a box, and Fig. 3 is a cross section of a portion of two boxes one mounted upon the other. Fig. 4 is a cross section of a modified iorm of box showing the bottom dished to provide shoulders, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Although a series of boxes are used in combination with each other all are alike in their detailed construction. Thus, each box 2 has a flat bottom 3 with right angled sides 4 which are inturned at their upper edge to form a shoulder or flange 5 running the full length of the box and which is preferably doubled upon itself. Flange 5 serves a double purpose in that it strengthens the sides of the box as against lateral pressure from within the box and also in that a shouldered support is provided ior the other boxes as they are piled one upon the other. It will be noted that each end 6 of the box ex tends upward from the bottom at right angles theretobut stops at a point lower than flange 5. Sides 4 are bent around the ends at the corners of the box and lie flush upon the outer face oi the ends, and hem 7 at the top edge of end 6 laps over the side extensions 8 to hold them in place and to make a rigid corner. A hand grip 9 formed of flat sheet metal and having considerable width is fastened or riveted upon the outer face oi the ends and is also overlapped by hem` i thereby making a very rigid end sufficiently strong to sustain the load within the box when the box is carried by said handles 9.

` These boxes ortrays are made in various sizes and when the larger size of boxes are completely filled their weight' is considerable, and it is a customary practice in the shops to slide them along on the floor. This soon wears out their bottoms and I therefore rivet la pair of fiat runners Il upon the bottom throughout its full length and round said runners 11 at the ends of the box. Being flat, said runners will slide freely Without injury to the `floor. Runners l1 are arranged parallel with the sides of the box but are retired therefrom a distance equal to the width of the flanges 5, and Wherebythe outer edge'12 oeach oi the runners is adapted to engage the innery rounded portion 14 of flange 5, see Figf. i A i Again referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the bottom of one box rests at its side edge directly upon the top of inturned ange 5 with runner 12 engaged therewith at one side to prevent lateral movement of the boxes in respect to each other. As fiange 5 is at a higher elevation than the top edge oi ends 6 it is at once apparent that runner 11 is free to pass over hem 7 to slide one box upon the other. The advantage of having this slidable arrangement is madey apparent in Fig. lwhere two boxes are shown as slid back in a. relatively staggered position to disclose the contents within the respective bottom boxes. .Thus the contents of any single box in the tier may be examined without lifting any one of the boxes from its place.

I show a modified form of box in Fig. 4 wherein bottom 3 is dished to provide shoulders 12 Otherwise the box isconstructed as hereinbeiore described.

When piled in tiers all the boxes are Hush vertically at their sides and a fiat continuous surface is produced which will permit the banking of successive tiers side by side without Waste of room.

What I claim is 1. A piling box or tray having side and end walls, the i said side walls projecting above the end walls of the box and inturned at right angles to provide a support for other boxes, and shoulders lengthwise on the bottom of said box adapted to provide runners to slide the box on the floor and bear against the inturned side walls of other boxes when piled one upon the other.

2. The combination of o. series of piling boxes or trays adapted to ,slidnbly interlock with each other, each box or tray comprising a vbottom and side and end walls havlng overlapping corner portions and a hein on the end walls overlapping said corner portions, said side walls projecting above the top ot said ends and bent inward to provide a stitfening flange for the box and a support for other boxeaand a shouldered bottom portion arranged parallel with the side walls adaptedto engage with the flanges of the supporting box immediately beneath.

In testimony` whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. ERICKSON. Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER,

. C. A. SELL. 

